Answering questions from Barnet Friends of the Earth was a chance for the Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson to say more about his plans to encourage initiatives such as helping to finance the installation of solar panels on community buildings.

A newly appointed member of the MP’s constituency staff is to be responsible for working with local groups to help develop a range of community projects including schemes to improve the environment.

Many public buildings including schools and community centres cannot afford to install solar panels and Mr Tomlinson’s aim is to encourage the development various initiatives including community energy projects.

“What we would like to do is get behind local initiatives and work with energy providers to support residents and community organisations to cut their fuel bills.

“I am sure there are probably dozens of initiatives already out there intended to help people insulate their homes and as Chipping Barnet MP I want to see what more can be done to help them.

“The same goes for community organisations faced with increasing costs of heating and lighting.

“I now have a member of my constituency staff who can work with the local community, and we want people to tell us how we can best assist.”

Wendy Alcock (above, left) founder of the Barnet community gardening initiative Incredible Edible – one of the many groups which supported the Friends of the Earth question-and-answer event – welcomed Mr Tomlinson’s appointment of a constituency staff member to help co-ordinate support for local schemes.

There was already one community energy project being developed in Friern Barnet and she was sure local activists would be keen to work with the MP and his staff on ways to improve the environment.

Dave McCormick (right) who helped organise the session with Mr Tomlinson, said they had brought together members from a wide range of groups including Chipping Barnet Foodbank, Barnet Green Spaces group, Barnet Beekeepers and Clean Air Barnet.

Mr Tomlinson said that since becoming MP constituency last year he had been surprised and encouraged by the strength of local environmental groups which made him even more determined to do what he could to support their work.

He faced some challenging questions from his Friends of the Earth audience especially on emerging government policies on climate change, house building and protecting the environment.

Labour’s proposals to limit the ability of activists to continue mounting legal challenges was a necessary step if the government was to succeed in speeding up investment in new energy and infra-structure projects.

At present there could be as many as three legal challenges to plans for wind farms, solar farms or new nuclear power stations.

The government’s aim was to limit this to one judicial review in future to stop projects being blocked for years.

“We will keep the ability to mount a challenge in the courts, but if a judge says there is no merit in a further challenge, we will not let that case go to appeal.”

Mr Tomlinson said the construction of a £100 million tunnel on the HS2 rail line to shield bats flying overhead in ancient woodland in Buckinghamshire illustrated the difficulties encountered with the current rules which said there could be no harm to wildlife in such locations.

“Rather than developers being required to spend money on projects like a bat tunnel, the government favours the creation of nature restoration fund.

“What we will probably say is that a developer must contribute money into a nature restoration fund, and it would be experts in the natural environment to say where that money should be spent. “

Mr Tomlinson said the government hoped to start consultations on such a scheme before Christmas and it would enable the country to do so much more to protect the environment because the money could be targeted on where it would achieve the most benefit.

He insisted that Labour’s push towards increasing housebuilding would be driven by a policy of releasing land in a sensible and rational way.

The government was trying to encourage a sense of optimism about what could be achieved.

“Young people in London are spending half their income on rents; some are spending more than that.

“So, we have to have a bold target on housing.”